Ceramic materials are useful for many applications including, for example, those in which resistance to high temperatures is required. However, many ceramic materials have a relatively high thermal mass and/or are thermally shock-sensitive.
Gas burners typically operate at high (e.g., combustion) temperatures, and are therefore constructed of materials capable of withstanding such temperatures. Inorganic materials such as ceramics have been used in such burners, at least in part, because of their resistance to high temperatures and combustion.
In some burner designs (e.g., radiant burner or blue flame burner), combustion of gas occurs within or near to a body of ceramic material. Typically, on lighting such burners, the temperature of the ceramic material rapidly rises to the operating temperature of the burner. Variations in the coefficient of thermal expansion (i.e., CTE) that exist within the body of the ceramic material typically lead to an accumulation of stress within the ceramic material as the temperature rises. If sufficiently large, this stress may cause fracture of the inorganic matrix and a resulting failure of the burner.
Current approaches to gas burner manufacture include the use of ceramic and/or metal burner plates and/or radiators. However, such burners may have deficiencies such as, for example, a high pressure drop or high thermal mass that may cause burner inefficiency, unwanted emissions (e.g., NOX emissions), and/or fragility (e.g., mechanical or thermal shock sensitivity). Thus, there is a continuing need for materials that may be used in gas burners.